Chapter 3: The Undercurrent Beneath the Lights
Shirakawa Village, nestled beside the trade road, lay quiet in the descending dusk. A neat wooden fence encircled the settlement, its heavy main gate currently open. A few villagers sat chatting on the stone blocks by the gate. They paid little mind to the approaching figures at first, but as soon as they saw the Konoha headbands and shinobi attire, their expressions turned serious. The man leading the group hurried forward, bowing respectfully.
"For you two shinobi-sama to grace our village, what instructions do you have for us?"
Shūji's calm gaze swept over them. He pulled a scroll from his robes and slowly unfurled it. "Konoha shinobi, here on a mission from the Daimyō of the Land of Rivers." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an official, no-nonsense tone. The villagers' expressions tightened. They exchanged glances, and the man who had spoken immediately stepped back, saying no more.
Itachi keenly sensed that the demeanor Shūji displayed now was completely different from his relaxed attitude at the restaurant in Koizumi Town. He remained silent, his young face maintaining the same stoic calm as Shūji's, and simply observed.
"Where is the village chief?" Shūji asked directly.
"At... at his home," a villager quickly replied, pointing the way.
The two entered the village. Though night was just beginning to fall, lights were already twinkling in Shirakawa. The warm glow from the paper windows outlined the shapes of the houses, giving an impression of carefully maintained peace. The impressive inn at the village center was especially noticeable, its ornate, layered eaves clearly visible in the light. Its entrance, however, was deserted, creating a subtle contrast with the lights of the other homes.
As they walked the village path, Itachi could feel eyes on them, hidden behind window lattices and fences. He maintained a state of outward calm but inner readiness, his peripheral vision taking in his surroundings. Shūji, meanwhile, walked with a steady, purposeful gait, heading straight for the chief's residence.
An old man with graying hair and a slightly stooped back was already waiting in the halo of the lantern by his door. Seeing the two, he hurried forward several steps and respectfully led them inside. Once host and guests were seated in the simple main hall, the old man finally spoke, his voice cautious.
"This old man is the chief of this village, Shirakawa Kiesuke. May I ask what you two sirs have come to investigate?" His calloused hands unconsciously clasped together.
"I thought you might have expected this," Shūji said, leaning forward slightly. His eyes fixed on the old man's face, the corner of his mouth hinting at a faint, cold smile. "The matter of the bandits harassing the trade road... I trust this village is not unfamiliar with it."
"This... this..." A fine sheen of sweat appeared on Kiesuke's forehead under the lamplight. "The officials did come by to ask... but this old man truly..."
"Oh?" Shūji's fingertip tapped the table, a sharp, clear sound. "Then let me ask a different way. Are all the registered villagers of Shirakawa currently in the village?"
"Of... of course..." Kiesuke began to say.
"Senpai." Itachi's clear, childlike voice cut in at the perfect moment, breaking the brief silence. "When we entered the village, I noticed that some of the houses were dark, as if no one lived there."
The old chief's body tensed imperceptibly. He quickly explained, "Ah, that's just a few families... they've gone elsewhere to make a living..."
Shūji's gaze slowly swept over the furniture in the room. While not luxurious, it was clearly made of solid, quality materials. "From what I can see," he said evenly, "this village is quite prosperous." He paused, his words carrying a deeper meaning. "With such a stable and wealthy home, it must be rare for young people to choose to leave, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes... yes." Kiesuke dabbed his forehead with his sleeve. "It's only because the trade route is so busy. We often have merchants stopping to rest at the village inn." He struggled to keep his voice steady. "When the young folk see the outside world... their hearts... they get restless."
"Those bandits must have had a significant impact on your village's livelihood." Shūji's gaze seemed to pierce the paper windows, landing on the silent inn. "Such a fine establishment, yet it stands empty."
The old man lowered his eyes, his voice dropping. "It is just as you say. That is why this old man prays day and night that you sirs will rid the trade road of this menace soon."
Shūji suddenly retracted his formless pressure, his tone becoming neutral. "In that case, do you have any clues you can provide, Chief? Our goal in this matter is the same." He looked the old man in the eyes. "Any small detail could be valuable."
"Yes, yes, of course... it's just... this old man truly doesn't know anything useful..." Kiesuke's voice was tinged with helplessness.
Shūji's expression didn't change at the reply. He simply asked a few more routine questions about the village's population and any recent visitors, then stood to leave. "We will be staying at the village inn for now. If you learn of anything, please inform us immediately."
Inside the inn room, the light of the oil lamp cast a steady glow. Itachi carefully checked that the doors and windows were secure and that the surroundings were quiet before turning to Shūji.
"Senpai. Back at the chief's house... did you discover something?"
Shūji, having reverted to his usual mild-mannered self, sat on the tatami. He asked back with a slight smile, "What do you think, Itachi?"
The eight-year-old Genin pondered for a moment before answering with clear logic, "You believe the bandits are connected to this village, and that the village leadership knows about it, or is perhaps even involved. This explains why you changed your attitude at the village gate and again with the chief."
"Given that judgment, why didn't you pretend to be unaware when we arrived? Why did you immediately adopt such a severe stance?" Shūji watched him with interest. "Wouldn't a low-key investigation make it easier to find clues?"
This was the very question Itachi still had.
Back at the restaurant, Shūji had analyzed two possibilities: the bandits were lingering for a lost item, or they were locals. It was clear now that his senpai was leaning toward the latter.
"Displaying a difficult attitude from the start was a primer," Shūji explained. "If you're too easy-going, it can invite unnecessary probing and trouble. When we entered the village, the amount of attention the villagers paid us—far more than they'd give a normal merchant—was itself a piece of information. This village has such a deluxe inn, they must be used to travelers. A village accustomed to guests shouldn't be so tense at the sight of unfamiliar shinobi."
"Therefore, I decided to put pressure on the village chief, to act as if we already had some information. If I had been too lenient, a man with his experience would have found a smoother way to brush us off without revealing a single crack." He paused. "And from his reaction, it's clear the village can't entirely distance itself from the young people who left, or from the appearance of the bandits."
Itachi nodded thoughtfully. These kinds of subtle observations and judgments were not taught at the Academy.
"Then, Senpai, what is your next move?" he asked.
Shūji didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked at Itachi. "If you were leading this mission, what would you do?"
The young Uchiha thought for a moment before replying, "If it were me, I would attempt to use genjutsu on the village chief to obtain more accurate information, such as the bandits' possible hiding place. Once I had a location, I would move to eliminate them."
"A very good tactical approach." Shūji nodded in approval, then his tone shifted. "Now, after using genjutsu, what situations might we face?" He held up a finger. "One: the chief truly doesn't know the core details, and the genjutsu yields little. Two: the bandits are hiding somewhere inside this village. Three: they are hidden in the forests outside the village."
"The last two scenarios are especially complex." Shūji sat up straight, his gaze serious. "Without concrete proof, and assuming they haven't shown open hostility, those 'bandits' are likely just normal neighbors and family in the eyes of the villagers. Just as the mission brief emphasized, the Land of Rivers pursuit team couldn't even get a description of them. This means, even if we find the target location, we will most likely be looking at a group of people who look like ordinary villagers, working at sunrise and resting at sunset."
He stared into Itachi's eyes, which were clear but already held a depth beyond his years. "When that time comes, how do you plan to proceed? If you attack directly, you will almost certainly provoke a strong reaction from the locals. When hard evidence is lacking, people tend to believe in and protect those they know. How they will question, protest, or even obstruct us... those are all unpredictable variables."
The room fell silent, broken only by the occasional, soft crackle of the oil lamp's wick. The young Uchiha genius frowned slightly, lost in deep thought. This problem, a dilemma involving human nature and the rules of engagement, was clearly beyond the scope of his past missions, which had been solved purely by force. The lamplight cast the silhouette of his pensive face onto the wall, stretching it long into the shadows.